Chuck vs Fulcrum: Beckman Strikes Back
by ne71
Summary: In the wake of the fall of Fulcrum, Chuck and Sarah face an even greater threat, and learn the true purpose of the Intersect. Sequel to "Chuck vs Fulcrum"
1. Aftermath

_A/N:_

 _Here, finally, is the long overdue sequel to "Chuck vs. Fulcrum." Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed that story, and a very special thanks to everyone who requested a sequel. I've spent way too long overthinking it, so I just decided to start posting chapters and hope that there's enough interest to motivate me to continue (hint hint)._

 _A few things you'll need to know…_

 _If you haven't read "Chuck vs. Fulcrum," you're going to be pretty lost. Without trying to sound like I'm trying to generate traffic to one of my own stories (which I'm clearly trying to do), I highly recommend you read it before delving into this one. Who knows? You might even like it._

 _If you_ _have_ _read "Chuck vs. Fulcrum," you already know this, but just in case you forgot: that story takes place directly after Season One, so by now there's several seasons of difference between the TV show's universe and this one. So, you can officially consider this storyline AU._

 _Finally, I don't own "Chuck." If I did, I'd be even more obnoxious than I am now._

 _Okay, let's see… read "Chuck vs Fulcrum," alternate universe, I'm not as obnoxious as I could be. I think that covers everything. Let's get to it._

* * *

 **Chuck vs Fulcrum  
** **Beckman Strikes Back  
** **Chapter One: Aftermath**

 _Echo Park  
_ _Casa Bartowski_

"Chuck… are you seriously stopping now?"

Sarah dropped her hands to her sides, grabbing her shirt and pulling it back down.

Chuck's world began to spin around him as he stared at the computer screen, and he felt unsteady on his feet. He looked at the name the data mining software had produced. The name that had been taken out of the analyzed disk given to Casey. The name of the person who had shown up in emails to Leonard Dillon, director of Fulcrum.

BECKMAN, GEN. DIANE

"Chuck," Sarah whispered, placing a hand on his shoulder. "What is it?"

"Don't freak out," Chuck said to himself.

 **XXX**

 _Washington, DC_

The phone rang on General Beckman's desk.

"Beckman."

There was a long pause, with no response. Finally, a familiar voice crackled over the line.

"Are we secure?"

Beckman's eyes grew wide. She hesitated for a moment, then keyed in a code on the touchpad. "We are now."

"This is Roark."

"There aren't may other people it could be. I thought I told you never to call me here."

"Nobody tells me to do anything, Diane. You know that. Besides, if you don't want to know what I know, I can always hang up."

"You're out of line."

"Well, now, that's the trouble with lines, General. They're meant to be crossed. Makes life a little more interesting."

"Cross as many lines as you'd like, Theodore. Just don't ever cross me."

There was a long silence on the other end. Finally, Roarke broke it.

"The drive's been activated."

Beckman sat up. "Location?"

"Exactly where you said it would be."

Beckman's face went sour. She knew this day would come, but had hoped it wouldn't be now. Not with her entire organization in shambles. Not so far ahead of schedule. To deal with this, she'd have to get involved personally, something she hated to do.

"Diane?"

Beckman snapped out of her thoughts. "Then the timetable has moved up. Are you ready for Bartowski?"

There was a grim chuckle from the other side of the line. "For decades now."

Beckman's brow furrowed as the line went dead. She shook her head and dialed another number.

"Leader, secure."

"Empress, secure. Carry out order 66." A moment passed without response. "Gabriel?"

"I'm here."

"The proper response, then, is 'yes, ma'am.'"

"It's earlier than anticipated."

Beckman's jaw clenched. "Are you questioning my orders, Gabriel?"

Another moment. "I'd never dream of it… ma'am."

"Then send all available personnel to the Asset's location for containment of Walker plus one. Tell them that her Asset is under no circumstances to be damaged. Is that clear?"

"Crystal. And Casey?"

"I'll handle him."

A final pause. "I've no doubt you will."

The line went dead. Beckman pursed her lips in frustration. Roark had a way of getting under her skin, but at the end of the day their goals were in alignment. But Gabriel, or Leader as he preferred to be called, was little more than a necessary evil. A voice through which she could command. He'd been increasingly belligerent in recent months, challenging her authority at every opportunity. And now, with Dillon gone, he'd been almost uncontrollable. She made a mental note to have him put back into line- or out of commission permanently.

Beckman activated her videoconference console. A moment later, John Casey appeared on the screen.

"Major Casey," Beckman began. "I have new orders for you." Casey stood at attention.

"It's been decided that," Beckman continued, "considering the recent activity in the area, the situation has become too dangerous for the Intersect to be out in the open. He's to be moved to an underground bunker as soon as possible. I need you to execute the transfer to our contingency location."

If Casey had been surprised upon hearing Beckman's orders, he gave no indication. He remained rigid, at attention. His response was professional and clipped.

"Yes, Ma'am."

"This," Beckman continued, "is the important part." She paused for a moment, obviously making sure that she had Casey's attention. "Agent Walker is to be neutralized."

This time Beckman could see Casey try to school his features, ultimately failing. His brow furrowed. His question came out in a low whisper.

"Permanently?"

Beckman nodded. "Affirmative. Anyone can see she's been compromised. I've allowed her to remain on this assignment because until now it hasn't affected the missions. However, I have no doubt that her feelings for the Asset will cause her to resist the transfer. You're to eliminate that risk before it can materialize. Understood?"

Casey hesitated. "Ma'am-"

" _Colonel_ Casey," Beckman enunciated. "Are your orders understood?"

Casey snapped back to attention. "Yes, Ma'am."

"I'll be at the contingency location in five hours. We'll debrief then. That is all."

Beckman terminated the teleconference, and rubbed her chin thoughtfully. With any luck, Casey would have things buttoned up before Gabriel's team even arrived. At his level, the newly-minted Colonel was her most loyal resource. Casey would be a viable replacement for Dillon, given the proper guidance. If only she had more time…

There were so few she could trust with the true nature of her organization. And especially now, with all of her plans finally coming to fruition, it was becoming a race to achieve her objective before the house of cards collapsed. A rush to completion. And she knew, perhaps better than anyone, that rushing plans such as hers always left loose ends. Like the Boy Scout, for example-

There was a knock at her door. "Come in," she said, trying to disguise her concern.

Graham entered. _Speak of the devil,_ she thought.

"You about ready?" he asked.

Beckman rose from her desk. "For a five-hour flight to Los Angeles?" she replied, giving her best fake smile. "Never."

Graham smiled right back. "Team Bartowski's been busy," he said. "A lot of arrests to process. We should have been out there days ago. What's been holding you up?"

"Just tying up some loose ends." Beckman replied, walking out to join Graham.

 **XXX**

 _Echo Park  
_ _Casey's Apartment_

The screen went dark.

Casey fell from his ramrod straight posture and allowed his back to slump. He stared at the floor, thinking furiously.

He knew what his job was. What he was in the scheme of things. Why Beckman kept him around when any other superior worth their salt would have forced him into retirement a long time ago. He was muscle, a blunt object aimed at problems that couldn't be reasoned away. A burnout she held in place to do the dirty work. Thinking had ceased to be a part of his job description a long time ago.

But now, this last set of orders… Something didn't add up, and it wasn't just his personal distaste. Aside from the fact that he was growing to actually like Bartowski, there was another reason to wonder about this job.

Five minutes after he gives Bartowski the hard drive, he gets this order? Beckman had 48 hours since the Fulcrum compound fell, and five minutes after Bartowski accesses the drive, she suddenly decides he's not safe? And it's important enough to her that she's willing to promote Casey on the spot to ensure his cooperation?

 _No,_ Casey thought. _Something doesn't add up, here._

Casey looked across the courtyard into Bartowski's window. He could see Bartowski in the bedroom, gesturing wildly, saying something to Walker. Casey switched on his listening devices, but was greeted with static. Not good.

He walked over to the wall closet, pressed a hidden switch, and opened the rear door to reveal his personal armory. Casey began preparing.

 **XXX**

 _Echo Park  
_ _Casa Bartowski_

Sarah tried to control her breathing, but it was getting away from her - the fears, the doubts, the suspicions that had started settling in during the aftermath of the Fulcrum raid, the paranoia she'd managed to push aside came back home to roost.

Beckman was trading emails with the head of Fulcrum. She and Chuck and Casey had been working for Beckman, who in turn had been working for Fulcrum all along. That meant _they_ had been working for Fulcrum.

 _Oh, god. All this time… What has she had us do for her? She's been telling me and Chuck and Casey to-_

Sarah stopped. Casey. Casey was a member of Beckman's circle long before being assigned here. Had he been in on it?

"Sarah," Chuck breathed. "What are we going to do?"

Sarah clamped her hands over her ears. "Wait. I need - I need a minute to-"

"But this is huge, Sarah! If General Beckman has been working for Fulcrum all along, what have we been doing all this time? And what about Graham? The program's not done scanning the drive, yet; maybe his name is in there, too!"

"Chuck—"

Chuck turned back to the computer screen. "The program. It's just some goofy script I wrote, so maybe it's wrong. Maybe I—no, no, if I messed up the code it just plain wouldn't work. It wouldn't pull a specific name out in an error, it'd most likely be a line of text, maybe an annotation—"

Sarah grabbed Chuck's arm. "Chuck."

Chuck faced Sarah again, finally listening.

"I need thirty seconds to think," Sarah said, forcing her voice to be steady. "Just thirty seconds. Let me figure out what we should do. Let me think for half a minute. Can you do that for me?"

Chuck, to his credit, didn't even hesitate. "Yes. Yes, Sarah. Of course."

Sarah let go of his arm, and closed her eyes. She breathed in deep, letting herself go calm. If Beckman was Fulcrum, then she'd had plenty of opportunities since the Sunset Terrace raid to terminate them. Why not?

Sarah pushed those thoughts aside. She didn't know Beckman's main objective, so she couldn't possibly figure out whether Beckman wanted them dead or alive. She had to focus on what they did know.

Chuck had activated the hard drive, a piece of equipment from a Fulcrum base. There was a good chance that the drive was being tracked somehow. And if Fulcrum was tracking the drive, then that meant Beckman now knew that they knew she was Fulcrum. One down.

Beckman was Fulcrum and knew where Chuck was. Chuck was not safe here. That was two down.

They knew Beckman was Fulcrum. Beckman knew that they knew. Casey worked for Beckman and therefore couldn't be trusted. Three down.

That was enough for a decision. Beckman's obvious course of action would be to have Casey take Chuck into custody. And if Beckman had Casey on her side, then there was no need to keep Sarah alive. That was her next move. Casey was on his way to kill her and take Chuck.

Sarah opened her eyes. "Take off your watch." She said, her voice steady.

"Why?" Chuck asked.

"Because we have to run."

* * *

 _I know, I know. Years of waiting for a sequel and I give you a bunch of phone calls and talking and thinking. Well, hold on tight, because next chapter… more talking. Look, trilogies aren't built in a day._

 _Next chapter:_

 _She was trying, harder than she knew she could, to keep it together while Chuck hurried around his room to gather up what he'd need. Casey was across the courtyard. Casey was coming to kill her. And Chuck was talking._

" _Right. Right. So, do you think we'll be able to come back here eventually? 'Cause I promised Morgan my Han Solo action figure. It's vintage, and he's got Chewbacca to complete the set, so if that's going to get like, blown up or burned or something—"_

"Chuck _—" Sarah started, a hard edge to her voice._


	2. Run

_Previously, in "Chuck vs Fulcrum:"_

 _"I want a name. As a show of good faith. Highest ranking government official actually working for Fulcrum. Tell me that, right off the bat, and you can eat."_

 _Tommy looked down at the ground. He was planning on keeping the name in reserve; a bargaining chip for later in the game. It was his greatest asset, and he was going to have to use it for a tray of crappy food._

 _"I… I don't think I'm going to tell you that now," Tommy said, trying not to look at the food. His stomach growled, as if it were voting on the situation. "I think you need to give me more in return for that information."_

 _Bryce nodded. "If that's the way you want it," he said casually, picking up the tray and opening the door to the basement._

 _"Wait!" Tommy cried. "I'll tell you."_

 _Bryce turned around in the doorway and faced Tommy, waiting._

 _"I'll tell you," Tommy repeated. "But you're never going to believe it."_

 **Chuck vs Fulcrum  
** **Beckman Strikes Back  
** **Ch 2: Run**

 _Undisclosed location_

"Beckman?" Bryce repeated. "As in General Beckman, head of the National Security Agency?"

Tommy sighed, and looked again at the tray of food in Bryce's hands, which now appeared to be in danger of falling on the floor. "Yes," he said, "Beckman. Now can I have-"

"General Beckman, the woman in charge of John Casey?"

"That General Beckman. I'm really hungry, Bryce-"

"Diane Beckman?"

"Actually, I thought her name was Louisa. Maybe we're talking about two different people. Is that applesauce?"

"Diane Louisa Beckman?"

"Oh, okay, that makes more sense. Do you have a straw?"

The tray slipped out of Bryce's hands and clattered to the ground, spilling its contents. Tommy's face fell.

"Aw, man…"

"Sarah," Bryce gasped. "I've got to get a hold of Sarah. Warn her." He pulled his phone out, then thought twice. Beckman was sure to have someone listening in on any calls, especially from Bryce's corner of the world. And if she didn't know that her cover was blown, this would certainly clue them in. He'd have to find another way.

"I have to go," Bryce said, turning to leave.

"Wait!" Tommy cried out. "What about me?"

"Stay here. I may be back in time to feed you before you die. Can't promise anything, though." Bryce walked out the door and started up the stairs, two at a time. Tommy heard the pounding of Bryce's shoes on the stairs and called up after him, frantic.

"Wait! Wait! I can help you!"

The pounding stopped. Tommy continued, hurriedly. "Walker. You're going to try and find Walker, right? Well, by now so is Beckman and what's left of Fulcrum."

The stairs creaked a bit as Bryce walked slowly back down them. Tommy continued, a bit slower. "Walker's good, man; you know that. Soon as she realizes the score, she's going to drop so far off the radar that only one guy in the world will be able to find her. And I'm the only guy who knows how to find him."

Bryce reached the bottom of the stairs and walked back through the door. He looked at Tommy.

"You're talking about Orion."

Tommy sighed with relief.

"I'm talking about Orion."

 **XXX**

 _Echo Park  
_ _Casa Bartowski_

"Essentials only, Chuck. We've got to move fast."

Sarah disconnected the hard drive and ejected the disc, shoving them both into her bag. She was trying, harder than she knew she could, to keep it together while Chuck hurried around his room trying to gather up what he'd need. Casey was across the courtyard. Casey was coming to kill her. And Chuck was _talking_.

"Right. Right. So, do you think we'll be able to come back here eventually? 'Cause I promised Morgan my Han Solo action figure. It's vintage, and he's got Chewbacca to complete the set, so if that's going to get like, blown up or burned or something—"

" _Chuck—"_ Sarah started, a hard edge to her voice. She reined it in. This wasn't Chuck's world; this wasn't what he was used to. Chuck was meant for gentler things. "Passports," she said, as softly as she could. "A change of clothes. Whatever cash you have around. Everything else we can get on the way."

Chuck nodded, and dropped to his knees to reach under the bed. "On the way where?"

Sarah glanced out the window to see if Casey was on his way yet. "I haven't gotten that far, yet," she said. Sarah's eyes widened when she turned back to see Chuck pulling his fake passports out of a shoebox. "Are you _serious_ , Chuck?"

Chuck looked up at Sarah, down at the shoebox, and then back up at Sarah with a nervous grin. "Not secure enough for your liking, I guess?"

Sarah pinched the bridge of her nose. "I'll beat some sense into you later. Just gather them up and let's go."

"There's something to look forward to," Chuck muttered as he transferred the passports into his backpack.

 **XXX**

Before opening the front door, Sarah looked through the window across the courtyard. Seeing no movement inside Casey's apartment, she carefully opened the door, signaling silently for Chuck to follow her. Chuck shouldered his bag and walked out after Sarah.

Sarah kept her eyes forward, a hand on the gun in her waistband, and her ears alert. They were so close. Just a few more steps and they'd be out of the courtyard, in her Porsche, and away from here…

"Walker."

Sarah pulled her gun, stepped in front of Chuck, and drew on Casey, standing on the front porch of his apartment. His hands were empty and out at his sides.

"Don't move!" she commanded. "Stay right there!"

Casey took half a step forward. "It's okay, Walker, I'm not—"

"Don't," she said, pulling the hammer back. Casey stopped and sighed.

"Walker, listen to me carefully. I know what you're thinking, and you're right. Beckman's up to something. Something bad. We need to get Chuck out of here."

" _We_ aren't doing anything, Major. You're staying right here, and Chuck and I are leaving."

"Walk— _Sarah_ ," Casey said, his hands still out at his sides. "I get it. I know how this looks. But you have to believe me when I tell you that I'm not a part of it. I'm trying to figure this out, just like you are."

Sarah kept the gun leveled at Casey's chest, her expression schooled. She heard Chuck's voice behind her.

"Sarah, maybe we—"

"Quiet, Chuck." Sarah studied Casey's face. His guard was down, and from what she could see he wasn't armed. Of course, knowing Casey, there was probably more than meets the eye on that point. But that expression, that tone of voice, the way he'd said her name…

"I got the order to bring Bartowski in," Casey continued, "and you can probably figure out my orders in regards to you. But it doesn't make sense. Timing's all wrong. Why now? Why right after I had Bartowski check the Fulcrum drive?"

Sarah breathed deep, keeping the gun on Casey, watching every move. If this was a setup, what was his game? Why come out unarmed?

"They don't pay you to think, Casey," Sarah replied. "My guess is you got the order right before we walked out. Not enough time to prepare, so you're stalling for some reason. You have backup on the way?" She strained her peripheral vision, but saw nothing out of the corner of her eye. What was he up to?

"Walker, I swear to you, I'm alone. No backup on the way. I'm not armed. Beckman gave me the order but I can tell her you weren't at the apartment, buy you some time while I figure out what's going on. Just keep me in the loop, tell me where you're headed, and we'll come up with a game plan as we go. We can't splinter now."

Sarah gritted her teeth. If he was lying… She hadn't worked with Casey long enough to know if this was one of his plays, didn't know if this was sincerity or strategy. But if he was telling the truth, he'd be a tremendous help in getting away, in getting Beckman. If she could only trust him…

Almost imperceptibly, Sarah's gun lowered the tiniest bit. And then she heard it. The screeching of tires just outside the courtyard.

Sarah snapped her head over to the parking lot and saw four black SUVs, braking hard. Just as they stopped an enormous, bald-headed man in black tactical gear jumped out of the passenger side of the lead SUV, followed by a flood of men from the other vehicles. The lead man leveled his assault rifle at her and yelled.

"NSA! Nobody move!"

Sarah looked back to Casey, a furious expression on her face. "You son of a bitch."

"Walker, they're not—"

Before Casey could finish, Sarah pulled the trigger. A deafening blast sounded out. Casey's body jerked back with the impact, and he immediately fell to the ground.

"Holy shit," Chuck breathed.

All hell broke loose.

* * *

 _Yeah, she did. Don't mess with Paranoid!Sarah. Here's where you fasten your seatbelts._

 _Anybody get the "Louisa" reference?_

 _Next chapter:_

" _They're getting closer," Sarah announced, glancing over her shoulder._

" _Oh, yeah?" Chuck smirked, spotting a long straightway ahead. "Watch this." He keyed a sequence into the touchscreen and braced himself. A moment later, a mechanical whine sounded out, then drifted again into silence. Chuck blinked at the touchscreen._

" _Watch what?" Sarah asked, disappointment dripping from her voice._

" _I think we're in trouble," Chuck said, watching the touchscreen._

 _Suddenly a message appeared on the screen: NOS INOPERATIVE_

" _We're in trouble."_


	3. Watch This

**Chuck vs Fulcrum  
** **Beckman Strikes Back  
** **Ch3: Watch This**

 _Undisclosed Location_

Bryce leaned over Tommy's shoulder and watched as Tommy navigated through several online forums on Bryce's laptop.

"Could you give me a little room, here?" Tommy asked. Off Bryce's flat look, he continued. "It's kind of a pet peeve of mine. People watching me work. It's hard enough to concentrate as it is."

"I'm not interested in the Likes and Dislikes of Tommy Delgado," Bryce deadpanned. "What are you doing?" Bryce leaned even closer to see, and Tommy hunched the same amount forward. "Burgundy Mustang with blue leather seats. You're placing classified ads?"

"I'm burning the last of my bridges and favors," Tommy muttered. "You have no idea how long it took Fulcrum to find these code words."

Bryce nodded. "Specific triggers for a data mining program that's constantly running. So, you place those ads on a few different sites, and they get Orion's attention," he said. "Then what happens?

As if on cue, the laptop screen went black. A single line of green text appeared:

 _IDENTIFY YOURSELF._

Bryce straightened as his mouth dropped open. Tommy leaned back.

"That happens."

 **XXX**

 _Echo Park_

For a moment, the world contracted to an impossibly small size, populated by three people: Sarah, Casey, and himself. There had been moments like this before, over the past few months since his life had been turned upside down; moments where the danger and the chaos all around him had pushed into the sides of his consciousness until nothing else seemed to exist but himself and his two partners. The difference was that, in all of those times before, he and Sarah and Casey had seemed to form their own little bubble, together against the world.

Now, with Casey falling to the ground, knocked back off his feet by a bullet fired from Sarah's still smoking gun, that bubble had burst. They were no longer a team. And in the impossible length of that frozen moment his already maddeningly confusing existence became utterly and completely senseless.

Sarah had shot Casey. Up was down. Black was white.

Casey hit the ground, and Chuck heard himself gasp out an epithet. In the split second of silence that followed, he knew he had to decide: would he react as he always did, by freezing and fumbling and hoping Sarah would drag him out of danger? Or would he push through all of that, accept this new reality, and contribute – actually contribute – to getting himself and Sarah to safety?

The men in tactical gear were already reacting, shifting their attention from Sarah and Casey solely to Sarah. All eyes were on her…

Except for their Leader's.

Chuck could see them, two glaring embers set deep inside that smooth skull, focused directly on him. This man had been sent for him. For Chuck and Chuck alone. No one else mattered. Anyone who got in the way was collateral damage waiting to happen. And with that last scrap of information, Chuck made his choice.

Even as Sarah pivoted to move between him and the men, Chuck moved on his own, placing himself in front of Sarah, shielding her. He could see the question in her eyes, but explanations would have to come later. For now, he simply grabbed her by her upper arms, and pushed/carried her in the opposite direction of the oncoming men.

The world expanded back to size, time sped up, and Chuck yelled.

"Come on!"

Sarah, to her credit, adapted perfectly, picking up Chuck's momentum and moving with it, turning and running towards the entrance to the courtyard. Chuck could hear the men behind him shouting at them to stop, but above all of their voices one gravely baritone stood out, saying the one thing Chuck had counted on.

"Hold fire! That's the asset! HOLD FIRE!"

Beckman wanted him alive, and at the moment that in turn was the only thing keeping Sarah alive. Chuck kept as close as he could behind her as they ran, and thought furiously about their next move. Sarah was going for her Porsche, but Chuck reached out to angle her away from the car.

"No, no! The Herder!" he called out. He could see the briefest hesitation as she turned her head a bit in his direction, but she changed course and made for the tiny little car. Chuck dug into his pocket and pressed a sequence on the key fob. Both doors on the Herder sprung open, and they climbed inside – Sarah in the passenger seat, Chuck behind the wheel. Leader's men were just a few steps behind.

"There's no way this one-lung little crapbox is going to get us through an NSA road block, Chuck!"

Chuck activated the dash touchscreen and started frantically keying through menus. "This baby's still got a few surprises in her, sweetheart."

As if on cue, the doors locked and the windows slid shut impossibly fast. A moment later a piercing shriek emanated from the tiny car's grill. From inside the cabin, it sounded like nails on a chalkboard. Outside—

Leader and his men dropped their weapons and covered their ears, falling to their knees.

Sarah gaped at Chuck. "How did you do that?"

Chuck, still punching buttons and flying through screens, managed a nonchalant shrug. "Flashed on the operating manual a while back. Hang on."

Sarah barely had time to register the message on the main screen ( _evade mode engaged_ ) before the car lurched into reverse, throwing them both against the dashboard. When the car finally stopped long enough to shift into drive, Sarah noticed the smaller text on the screen ( _please fasten seatbelts – it's the law_ ). The Herder sped away, throwing them both back into their seats.

"Maybe a little warning next time, Chuck," Sarah growled as she fumbled for her seat belt. The Herder, seemingly moving on autopilot, shot down a side street and turned onto a main road.

"That's what 'hang on' usually means," Chuck snapped back. "And besides, I didn't know she'd move that fast. I haven't exactly gotten the chance to field-test this system, you know." Chuck tapped through one more menu before fastening his own belt.

"Where is it taking us? Does this thing actually drive itself?"

"Not exactly," Chuck replied, looking frantically between the road and the display screen. Sarah noticed that he had a map that looked like a GPS on the screen in front of him, and that he was making selections on the screen that seemed to result in the herder changing lanes to avoid other cars. "You can pre-program an escape route into the nav system, and the herder will follow it, but it's pretty rudimentary. Default destination is the Buy More." Chuck tapped the screen, and the herder changed lanes to pass a minivan. "All it knows is how to follow the GPS coordinates. It has some basic functions that will allow it to detect other cars and move around them, but at this speed I don't really trust it."

Sarah nodded. "Standard procedure for the NSA in a detainment situation is to set up a perimeter," she said. "We'll probably hit a roadblock any minute now. I should really be the one driving."

Chuck grimaced. "Unfortunately, I think you're better off being the one shooting." He gestured over his shoulder. "Three black SUVs on our six."

Sarah saw the smaller window on the display showing the aforementioned SUVs, and twisted in her seat to see out the rear windshield. She took out her pistol and chambered a round. "Does the rear window open on this thing?"

A second later, a shotgun blast sounded out, and the rear window shattered. Chuck yelped and ducked as glass flew throughout the cabin. Sarah shielded her eyes, then sighed.

"Never mind," she said, and returned fire behind them.

 **XXX**

Leader slowly climbed to his feet, looking back over his men as they recovered from the Herder's sonic assault. He shook the ringing from his own ears and walked over to Casey, who lay where he fell. Leader nudged him with his boot.

"Up and at 'em, Major."

Casey jolted back to consciousness, and struggled to his feet. "Major Gabriel, NSA LA Branch. Beckman sent us to collect the Asset." Leader watched as Casey reached under his jacket and rubbed his chest. He smirked. "Interesting that you chose this moment to wear a bulletproof vest."

"Always be prepared," Casey coughed out.

"I think a more appropriate platitude would be 'forewarned is forearmed,'" Leader replied. "You knew Walker was going to run."

"Can never tell with Walker," Casey said. "Girl's full of surprises."

"That she is. Where they headed, Major?"

"Hell if I know."

Leader cocked his head. "See, I don't think that's entirely accurate," he said. "I think you do know. At the very least, I think you have a pretty good idea."

Casey squinted at Leader. "Beckman sent you, huh?"

"That's right."

"Seems kind of redundant, seeing as I was right across the courtyard all along."

"From they way things turned out, Major, it appears we were understaffed for the occasion. Now, I'm going to ask you again: Where are they going?"

"Tell you what, Mystery Man. Let's get Beckman on the horn and let her ask me that question."

"I could make you tell me, you know."

Casey responded with a sour grin. "I seriously doubt that."

Leader scoffed. "Major Casey, you're very badly outnumbered. And you've been shot. Bulletproof vest or not, that's going to take some of the fight out of a man. Please believe me when I tell you that you're going to talk." He leaned in closer to Casey and lowered his voice menacingly. "Everybody talks."

Casey nodded, looking around at Leader's men, who had since climbed back to their feet and looked to be ready for a fight. He cocked his head back and forth, cracking the joints in his neck, then looked back at Leader. "Well, then," he said.

"Let's get started."

 **XXX**

Sarah ejected her spent clip and loaded a new one. "I'm empty after this clip, Chuck. We need to figure something out." She twisted in the seat and fired three carefully placed shots at the lead SUV.

"You only had one spare clip with you?"

Sarah frowned as she squeezed off two more shots. "I came to your apartment to have _sex_ with you, Chuck," she growled in reply. "Exactly how many bullets would you prefer I have on me when that happens?"

"Um… none."

"Well, we're getting close to that being the reality," Sarah said, squinting and pulling the trigger. A front tire on the lead SUV exploded, sending the vehicle into a spin. The other two SUVs dodged the out of control car and fell back a few lengths. "On the plus side," Sarah said, sitting back in her seat, "apparently sexual frustration makes for pretty accurate marksmanship."

"If that were the case, I'd be William Tell," Chuck muttered under his breath.

"They're getting closer," Sarah announced, glancing over her shoulder.

"Oh, yeah?" Chuck smirked, spotting a long straightway ahead. "Watch this." He keyed a sequence into the touchscreen and braced himself. A moment later, a mechanical whine sounded out, then drifted again into silence. Chuck blinked at the touchscreen.

"Watch what?" Sarah asked, disappointment dripping from her voice.

"I think we're in trouble," Chuck said, watching the touchscreen.

Suddenly a message appeared on the screen: _NOS INOPERATIVE_

"We're in trouble."

* * *

 _Of course Casey was wearing a vest. This is Casey we're talking about. He probably wears those things in the shower. _

_Special thanks to_ _ **Nomadic Nerd**_ _for pointing out a pretty bad plot hole that popped up in Chapter 2. I've since made the proper changes to Chapter 1 and am going to try and keep the domino effect under control. And if you didn't notice the plot hole, don't look at me. I'm pretending it never happened._

 _Thanks to everyone who's been reading, favoriting, and following, but an extra special big huge wet raspberry-blowing thank you to everyone who takes the time to review. Reviews are the bacon cheeseburgers to my hungry ego. That's high praise, considering that bacon cheeseburgers are like hugs for my stomach._

 _Crap, now I'm hungry._

 _ **Next chapter:**_

 _Sarah looked at the SUVs. One was almost alongside them now. The rear driver's side window was open. She could see the agent inside aiming._

" _Clock's ticking, Chuck."_

" _I see an opening. Just a couple seconds…"_

 _The SUV was right next to them. Sunlight glinted off the agent's gun. Sarah could see the calm, competent expression on his face._


	4. National Security

_Previously, in Beckman Strikes Back:_

 _Leader scoffed. "Major Casey, you're very badly outnumbered. And you've been shot. Bulletproof vest or not, that's going to take some of the fight out of a man. Please believe me when I tell you that you're going to talk." He leaned in closer to Casey and lowered his voice menacingly. "Everybody talks."_

 _Casey nodded, looking around at Leader's men, who had since climbed back to their feet and looked to be ready for a fight. He cocked his head back and forth, cracking the joints in his neck, then looked back at Leader. "Well, then," he said._

" _Let's get started."_

 **Chuck vs Fulcrum  
** **Beckman Strikes Back  
** **Ch4: National Security**

 _Echo Park_

Casey angled himself between Gabriel's men and his apartment's front door. Coming unarmed had been risky, but he had figured it would be a show of faith for Walker. She'd been jumpy lately, and that was on top of her usual protectiveness over Chuck. Showing up gun drawn would have been a bad move for sure. The peaceful approach might have worked, if it hadn't been for Gabriel and his men.

Of course now, the peaceful approach wasn't looking very peaceful. The men in question advanced, their guns drawn, and formed a half-circle in front of Casey, Gabriel in the center. Eight in total, including Gabriel. And Casey's chest hurt like hell. He could already feel how restricted his motion was going to be.

"Last chance, Major," Gabriel drawled, smirking. "Stand down, or this is going to be over in a flash."

"You're right about that," Casey said, and slammed his fist down over his pants pocket. A violently bright green light blazed out of the porch light fixtures, blinding Gabriel and his men. Casey moved quickly, charging forward and elbowing Gabriel in the chest as he stripped his assault rifle away. He swept the butt of the weapon into the throat of the next closest man, then an elbow to the nose of the man behind him.

He'd planted the dazzler lights in the porch fixtures along ago, but today they had been meant as a last resort if Walker wouldn't listen to reason. There was a split second where Casey had considered using them when Walker had tensed up at Gabriel's arrival, but in the end all that would have accomplished was putting Chuck in Gabriel's custody.

Now, with three men down and five still disoriented, Casey's restraint had paid off. He decided not to push his luck, however, and bolted for his apartment door. He was inside in seconds, with the door shut behind him and the defense system activated with a sequence punched into the keypad by the door.

Moments later gunfire erupted from outside, temporarily foiled by the bulletproofing on Casey's door and windows.

"So much for National Security," Casey grumbled as he took cover.

 **XXX**

"They're gaining on us, Chuck."

Sarah aimed carefully, trying to stay behind the relative cover of the Herder's seat, and fired at the windshield of the closest SUV. The bullet pierced the glass, missing the driver but spiderwebbing the windshield and causing him to swerve a bit and slow down. The SUV behind him quickly took over his position.

Chuck split his attention between directing the Herder around traffic and trying to figure out what was wrong with the nitrous system. He muttered to himself as he checked systems via the touchscreen. "Horizontal boosters… alluvial dampers…"

"Would it help if I got out and pushed?"

Chuck glared at Sarah. "It might."

"There," Sarah said, pointing at a street sign. "Get on the 5."

Chuck cleared the GPS coordinates from the nav system and took full control of the Herder, angling it towards the on-ramp and keeping his foot down on the gas. Fortunately, the modified engine was pushing the car along much faster than normal. Unfortunately, not fast enough to keep them ahead of the SUVs for long.

"Not sure this was the best move," Chuck said, watching as the SUVs crept closer. "In a straight line, they've got the advantage."

"They would have shepherded us into a road block eventually if we'd stayed on the streets," Sarah said, aiming at the lead SUV but holding off as Chuck swerved around a pickup.

"Great. Well, we can still outmaneuver them." Chuck blinked as a thought occurred to him. "Outmaneuver," he whispered thoughtfully as he saw break in the highway divider ahead. "Yeah. That'll do nicely."

"What will?" Sarah asked.

"Gonna do something stupid," Chuck said as he drifted into the left lane. "Just remember that I'm going to hate this a lot more than you will."

Before Sarah could respond, Chuck jerked the wheel to the left and fired the Herder through the divider into oncoming traffic.

 **XXX**

 _Gulfstream V  
_ _Potomac Airfield_

Beckman studied Graham, sitting across from her in the comfort of the private jet as they waited for clearance to take off. He was still poring over the arrest reports from the Fulcrum raid, trying to connect the dots, doubtlessly planning his interrogations of some of the higher ups. Beckman could see the strain on his face, the concentration, as he worked to unravel the mysteries of Fulcrum's origins.

Graham was smart, she knew. Idiots didn't get to a position like his. Talking to the right people, turning over the right rocks, he'd figure it out. And then what? Could he be turned? Graham, and his organization, would be invaluable. And even under the pretense of Operation Bartowski she'd orchestrated, they'd worked fairly well together. But would he go along?

Graham stretched, sighed, and sealed his fate. "None of these characters have the resources to put an operation like Fulcrum together and maintain it they way they have," he said. "There's someone we're missing. Someone higher up who's eluded us so far. When I get my hands on him…" Graham shook his head and returned to his files.

 _Well,_ Beckman thought. _That settles that._

Beckman's phone rang. "Pardon me, Langstrom." She got up and moved to a quiet corner of the plane. "Empress, secure."

On the other end of the line, she could hear gunfire. "Leader, secure but in public."

Beckman closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. "That had better not be the sound of your men putting holes in my Asset, Major."

"Negative, ma'am, we are currently pursuing Major Casey."

Beckman's eyes widened. "You're what?" she hissed.

"Seems he wasn't expecting our arrival, _Empress_ ," Leader replied, putting a sarcastic emphasis on Beckman's code name. "Would you happen to know anything about that?"

Beckman took a deep breath. "Major Casey was given the same opportunity I gave you: to secure the Asset."

There was a pause as Leader put it together. "And the first one back sits at your right hand."

"Something like that. Where is the Asset now?"

Another pause, as Leader seemed to process his new information. "I have a team pursuing the Asset and Walker on the road, and we are attempting to breach Casey's stronghold."

"You are to cease fire on Casey's position immediately, Major," Beckman growled. "You're creating an incident in a _residential area_ that can't be explained away. Contact your pursuit team and have them fall back to a surveillance position. These are not things I should have to tell you to do."

"All due respect, ma'am, if you're going to make this into a job interview, then it's in my best interest to eliminate the competition. Leader out." Beckman bristled as the line went dead. She took a deep breath, composed herself, and went back to her chair.

Graham cocked an eyebrow at her as she sat down. "Everything okay?"

"Oh, you know," Beckman sighed. "The usual."

 **XXX**

"ARE YOU CRAZY?" Sarah screamed as they flew by a semi truck, blasting its horn.

"They'd be crazy to follow us, wouldn't they?"

Chuck stayed on the shoulder as cars and trucks whipped by to the left, all honking and flashing their headlights. Sarah, while holding the door handle in a death grip, glanced over her shoulder to see that the SUVs had indeed stayed on their side of the highway. They had slowed a bit to decide whether to follow, but had since poured on the speed again.

"They're going to be right next to us in a second, Chuck," Sarah said, tersely. She looked over at Chuck, who appeared to be gathering his resolve for what had to happen next. She tried to calm herself as much as she could, and spoke as gently as possible. "Look for an opening, far enough ahead to react. When you go, try to come as close as you can to the cars you've just passed. That'll give you the most distance between us and the oncoming cars."

Chuck nodded. "Okay," he said. "Okay. I can do this."

Sarah looked at the SUVs. One was almost alongside them now. The rear driver's side window was open. She could see the agent inside aiming.

"Clock's ticking, Chuck."

"I see an opening. Just a couple seconds…"

The SUV was right next to them. Sunlight glinted off the agent's gun. Sarah could see the calm, competent expression on his face.

"Chuck—"

Chuck yanked the wheel to the left, and Sarah heard a gunshot. The passenger side window shattered. She screamed and shut her eyes as glass flew everywhere. For a moment she felt almost weightless as the tiny car danced back and forth, tires screeching. Chuck was weaving them in and out of traffic, between enormous steel hulks coming at them at a hundred miles per hour.

She forced her eyes open in time to see Chuck dodge the last truck and slide the car onto the opposite shoulder, slamming on the brakes and yanking the wheel again to the left, just in time to direct it into a u-turn and onto an exit ramp. They careened down the ramp, then onto a side street, where Chuck stopped the car entirely. He gripped the wheel, eyes forward, face white as a sheet. They both just sat for a moment and stared straight ahead.

"Chuck." Sarah finally said.

"Yes, Sarah?" Chuck breathed.

"Half of me wants to kill you and half of me wants to rip your clothes off."

"You can probably guess my vote."

"That was actually really impressive."

"Don't thank me, thank Grand Theft Auto."

Sarah finally turned to look at Chuck, narrowing her eyes. "Isn't that the game where you get points for punching out hookers?"

"I have never punched a hooker in my life."

"Well," Sarah said, getting out of the car to take over driving. "The day's young."

 **XXX**

Casey crouched behind the kitchen counter, taking stock of his position and situation. There was an emergency exit at the back of the apartment, but getting to it would put him into the line of fire. His bulletproofing on the front door and window was holding up for now, but the occasional bullet was making its way through the exterior wall. With the pain in his chest from Walker's shot still increasing, Casey didn't know if he'd be able to shrug off another hit long enough to make it out. And even then, there was most likely some of Gabriel's command waiting for him around the back.

In the kitchen, he had some small arms hidden within reach. Better than nothing, he supposed, but hardly anything that would stand up to the firepower outside. And even if he could reach the transmitter inside the entertainment center, who would he call for help? Beckman? Walker?

Casey's shoulders slumped as he realized his only chance. He pulled a .45 pistol from the silverware drawer and tucked it into his waistband. This was going to hurt, in more ways than one.

Casey waited for a reduction in the shooting, and then dashed across the living room to the entertainment center. He felt a sting as a bullet grazed his arm, but made it otherwise unscathed. He moved quickly, pulling the cover off the dummy amplifier to reveal the transmitter inside. A few connections later and the power came on. Casey dialed a frequency he'd learned by heart, paused for a moment, and then sent the signal.

Almost immediately, the gunfire ceased. Casey's brow furrowed, and he looked down at the transmitter. That wasn't him, was it?

Casey chanced a look out the window to see one of Gabriel's men crouched by the front door. Not good. He scrambled back to the kitchen, and worked furiously to open a hatch in the floor.

Just as the hatch opened, an enormous explosion blew the entire front of the apartment open. Casey was thrown back by the blast, thankfully shielded from shrapnel by the kitchen counter. He slumped to the floor, unconscious.

Leader walked slowly through the debris, gun up, broken glass and masonry crunching under his boots. He stopped at the kitchen when he saw Casey on the ground, lowering his weapon and smiling wide.

"You're under arrest, Major."

 **XXX**

 _Sarajevo  
_ _Veliki Park_

 _Today is the day_ , she thinks to herself, as she sits across from the wizened old man. He looks calm, but she knows him, knows how to read people well enough to know he realizes how much trouble he's in. Today, after so many months, is the day she finally beats him.

He moves a wrinkled hand to the table, withdraws it, then brings it to the table again. She smiles. He never used to hesitate like this. Today is the day.

She feels a vibration. It's tiny, subtle, but from an object so long dormant that the awakening shakes her entire body. The old man notices, looks quizzically at her. _Today,_ she thinks, _of all days._

"I am sorry, Emir," she says, tipping her king over. "I must forfeit. Next time, all right?" She gets up to leave. The old man smiles wide.

"Fortunate for you," he says. "I had you on the ropes." She bites back her retort. He's insufferable, but old enough to deserve her respect.

"I'm certain you did," she replies, and turns to walk away. This place has been her refuge for months, while her heart healed. Walks through the park in the afternoons, dinner in the square, chess in the evenings with Emir and the other masters. It had been working, distracting her, allowing her to believe that eventually she'd forget him and move on with her life. Until now.

She withdraws the charm, hanging from the chain around her neck, feels it pulse once more and then go still.

"Sugar bear," she whispers.

* * *

 _Sorry for the delay in updating. Planning a road trip, so it may be a little while before I update again. Speaking of which…_

 _Next chapter:_

 _"I can only imagine what you're thinking right now, Colonel. Do you think I'm evil? Some sort of mad villain?"_

 _"You broke the law."_

 _"I made decisions that were necessary for the-"_

 _"You. Broke. The. Law."_

 _Beckman stared at Casey, her stone expression slipping into a slight smile. "Yes," she replied. "I did. And out of curiosity, Colonel Casey, how many times have you broken the law for what you perceived was the greater good? How many times have you bent the rules to protect your assignment - Mr. Bartowski? I can list several times that I know of, and I'm sure there are many of which I'm not even aware."_

 _Casey struggled with his response. Beckman continued._

 _"You broke those laws to protect Bartowski, because you believe you know better than the law. Because at those times when the law was contrary to your goals, you believed that you had the greater good in mind."_

 _Beckman leaned down into Casey's face. "How is that any different from what I'm doing, aside from the scale? You're protecting Bartowski, Colonel. I'm protecting the world."_


	5. Shock and Awesome

_Iiiiiiii'm back!_

After driving in a 5,000 mile circle (4,900 of which involved the engine making a funny ticking noise), I have returned refreshed and ready to continue with the story. So without further ado, here is your new chapter:

* * *

 **Chuck vs Fulcrum  
** **Beckman Strikes Back  
** **Ch5: Shock and Awesome**

 _Echo Park_

From their vantage point down the block, Bryce and Tommy watched the police, fire, and paramedics swarm around the apartment complex. Smoke still billowed from what remained of Casey's apartment, and every window facing the courtyard was either cracked or shattered. They had yet to witness any injured people being removed, which led them to believe that the rest of the units had been empty during the incident. Bryce hoped it didn't mean they were waiting for the coroner.

"Why the hell would Orion send us here?" Tommy asked. "You think he's trying to…" he drifted off, as he tended to do. Bryce noticed that it the episodes seemed to happen when they were most inconvenient, and wondered if they were somehow connected to Tommy's stress levels.

"Set some kind of trap?" Bryce finished for Tommy. "I don't think so. Seems like this couldn't have happened more than an hour or so ago. That'd be after he sent us the coordinates." Bryce didn't know exactly how much Tommy knew about the Intersect operation, so there wasn't any sense in offering that this had been where Chuck lived. "I'm guessing he'll contact us soon with an alternate location."

"And if he doesn't?"

Bryce's phone chirped with an incoming text message. He smirked at Tommy. "You worry too much, anyone ever tell you that?"

Tommy scowled as Bryce checked the message: _WESTSIDE MEDICAL._

 **XXX**

 _Burbank  
_ _Qwick-E-Fix_

Sarah watched out the windows of the vacant service station while Chuck worked on the Herder. They'd been fortunate in finding this place, and getting in had been easy enough, but they were still pushing their luck being this out in the open. Sarah flinched as a police cruiser passed by.

"How we doing, Chuck?"

Upside down, legs dangling out the passenger side door, Chuck grunted as he pulled a small black box out from underneath the Herder's dashboard. "There," he said triumphantly, tossing the device onto the driver's seat. "Assuming your little bug jammer doohickey worked well enough to kill the signal, we should be clear from here on out."

"Which still leaves us driving around in one of those picky chew ball things from that cartoon you watch."

Chuck tilted his head down from under the dash. "Did… did you just make a Pokémon joke?"

"I don't understand why we have to stick with the Herder," Sarah said. "We should pick up something less conspicuous."

Chuck squirmed out from under the dashboard and groaned as he stretched. "We're going to need the onboard computer, unless you think we can get back into Castle."

"Doubtful," Sarah said. "Castle's bound to be swarming with NSA by now. And even if we luck out and they haven't thought to post anyone there, the systems are sure to flag us as soon as we get within a hundred feet of the security cameras." Sarah paused for a moment. "Why do we need the onboard computer?"

"You're, um… not going to like that part."

"I haven't liked any of the parts so far, Chuck. Let me have it."

Chuck took a deep breath and switched off Sarah's jammer device. The systems for the Herder came back on line. "The onboard computer has some pretty advanced communication software installed," he said, leaning in to key through some menus on the touchscreen. "It'll take some doing, but if I can mask it from the servers, make it look like a higher level terminal making some routine inquiries—"

"You're doing that thing where you babble instead of telling me something I don't want to hear," Sarah deadpanned.

Chuck turned to face Sarah and breathed in deep. "If Beckman is behind all of this, we're going to need to expose her in order to clear our own names. So…" Chuck swallowed. "IwanttohacktheNSAserversandstealallofBeckmansfiles." Chuck ducked back into the Herder and started tapping through screens again.

Sarah stared at Chuck. "So," she said, her voice even and suspiciously calm. "At the time when we should, with absolute and utter terror in our hearts, be running away from the government, you would like to attack them."

"Well, digitally. But yes."

"And assuming we're able to find this information, who do we give it to? Graham? We don't know if he's involved or not."

Chuck mumbled something too quietly for Sarah to hear.

"What was that, Chuck?" Sarah asked, as fake-sweetly as she could. "I couldn't quite hear you."

Chuck cleared his throat and spoke over his shoulder. "I… haven't gotten quite that far in the plan yet."

"So, this isn't so much a plan as it is one single idea."

"It's a plan."

"It's barely a concept, Chuck."

"It's, like, twelve percent of a plan! I'm sorry that I've been too busy dodging bullets, weaving in and out of oncoming traffic, and oh yeah, _not freaking out_ to come up with the other eighty three percent!"

Sarah pinched the bridge of her nose. "You're right. I'm sorry. You're doing a great job, Chuck. I'm just…"

"Tired, ragged, and scared?"

Sarah smiled a half smile. "Among other things."

Chuck nodded, and gazed at Sarah for a moment. She held the stare for as long as she could, then turned back to look out the windows again, keeping watch.

"Do you think Ellie and Devon are okay?" Chuck asked.

"I don't know," Sarah replied, still looking out the windows. "We're not in any kind of shape to help them right now, Chuck."

Chuck nodded. "I'll think of something."

"You always do."

Chuck gave a half smile at that, one that he was sorry Sarah couldn't see. The smile disappeared, though, as another thought entered his head.

"Sarah," Chuck finally said. By way of response, Sarah turned her head ever so slightly in his direction. "Can we talk about Casey?"

 **XXX**

 _NSA Holding Facility  
_ _Los Angeles_

Consciousness found Casey in a holding cell, strapped securely to a hospital bed. As his eyes focused, he could make out an I.V. attached to his arm. One of his ears was still ringing from the explosion earlier, and a dull pain announced itself in his side. Casey tried to assign a specific incident to the pain, but came up with several possible culprits.

Squinting, he could make out a person in uniform sitting in a chair on the other side of the cell, but the details were fuzzy. He blinked a few times to try and clear his head. But the person spoke, and removed any mystery.

"Good. You're awake."

Instinct made Casey begin to stand at attention, or at the very least sit up, but the straps, pain, and recent memory combined to stop him. Instead he managed a curt "General."

Beckman stood and stepped closer, coming into focus. "I suppose an explanation is long overdue."

"Ma'am," he gritted out.

Beckman nodded, and sighed. She walked over to the barred window, barely low enough for her to see out, and gazed for a moment before speaking. "You're the last person I would presume would need educating about the state of the world, John," she said. "The things you've seen, the things you've done…" she cast him a pointed glance. "You're no babe in the woods."

Casey was silent. It hadn't been a question.

"But all of those things you've seen," Beckman continued, "existed on the outside. Other countries, other groups, bad men doing whatever they could to gain power. Us versus them. I, on the other hand, have seen things right within our own country. Within our own leadership. The wrong people are in power, John. They have been for some time now."

She tore her gaze away from the window at that, crossing back over to her original spot and pulling her chair to Casey's bedside. She sat down, rigid and straight. "I've lost track of how many times our leadership made the wrong decision from the right information. How many times we should have engaged but instead chose to stand down. How many opportunities we missed because of the wrong people making the wrong decisions. How do you change a situation like that?"

"With the Intersect," Casey finally said.

The tiniest corner of Beckman's mouth turned up. "All of the agencies making their decisions from one pool of information," she said. "And whoever controls that information—"

"Controls the world," Casey finished for her.

The corner turned up a little more. Beckman settled back into her seat, and nodded slightly.

"You're not just Fulcrum," Casey said, his voice low and dangerous. "Fulcrum is you."

 **XXX**

"Oh, like it was the first time Casey's been shot."

Chuck threw his hands up in the air. "By _you_ , yes!"

"Chuck, this is Casey we're talking about. He was wearing a vest. Casey probably wears a vest in the shower."

"What if he wasn't?"

"He was."

"But what if he wasn't?"

Now Sarah threw her hands up. "Then I guess he's dead, Chuck! What do you want me to say? Do I _feel_ bad that I shot Casey? Of course I do! Know what would make me _feel_ worse? If Casey shot you! I made a judgment call, so if it means I have to shoot Casey to keep you safe, then I'm going to shoot Casey. Cards on the table, Chuck; I'm probably going to have to shoot a lot of people before this is over. So, since we're here talking about our _feelings_ so much, I might as well clear it with you now! How do you _feel_ about me shooting some more people who are trying to kill us, Chuck? Are you going to _feel_ okay if I shoot some more people, or should I make up a story about them going to live on a farm?"

"Don't you dare treat me like I'm some kind of child just because I happen to care if my friend is alive or not."

"OH MY GOD, Chuck! Casey is not your friend! We don't _have_ any friends right now! We are completely alone in this, and the one thing I know how to do is keep you safe! So that's what I'm going to do! They are _coming_ , Chuck! They're coming to take you, and if I have to kill… every last—" Sarah stopped herself, clamping her hand over her mouth. Her eyes were wide, and she began to shake.

"Oh, no. Oh, Sarah, no." Chuck rushed over to her, taking her in his arms. "Okay. It's okay. I'm sorry, Sarah. I didn't think—"

"No, let me go. You have to let me go," Sarah pleaded. "I have to keep watching, I have to make sure they don't know we're here."

"Sarah, no one knows we're here. I promise. Just take a second and—"

"No, we were yelling, that was so stupid. They're going to know we're here, and they're going to find us."

Chuck smoothed a hand over her hair, again and again. "Sarah. Stop. Just stop for a second and listen to me. We're safe right now. Close your eyes, and take a deep breath, and stay calm. You're in shock, and I didn't realize that. I'm sorry."

Sarah closed her eyes and sunk into Chuck's embrace. She took a deep breath, trying to remember her training. But it was so hard to think. Even now, in Chuck's arms, she felt like the walls were closing in, that Beckman's reach would grasp them at any moment.

"It's okay," Chuck said, soothingly. "We're okay. We're going to get out of this, Sarah. I promise."

Sarah kept her eyes shut, breathing deep, focusing on Chuck's voice. On Chuck. Chuck would figure it out. Chuck was the only one she could trust. And no matter what, she was going to keep him safe. No matter what.

 **XXX**

"I originally saw Mr. Bartowski as a setback," Beckman said, standing up to examine Casey's IV drip. "A human brain in control of all our information, where it would be impossible to alter or influence? It ruined everything at first. But after the team rescued General Stanfield, I realized the potential. It would require postponing my plans for some time, but if the way Mr. Bartowski's brain processed the information could be tested, and observed-"

"You could develop a better way to influence the information," Casey interrupted. "Everything we've done over the past few months, all of the missions…"

"Experiments," Beckman said, smirking. "Certainly, they've been beneficial, but nothing even close to the scale an operation like this should have been. Didn't you think it odd, Colonel, that all of your missions took place within an hour of Los Angeles?" Beckman leaned in a bit, and raised her eyebrows. "You've been operating in a fishbowl."

Casey grit his teeth, and glared at Beckman. She sighed.

"I can only imagine what you're thinking right now, Colonel. Do you think I'm evil? Some sort of mad villain?"

"You broke the law."

"I made decisions that were necessary for the-"

"You. Broke. The. Law."

Beckman stared at Casey, her stone expression slipping into a slight smile. "Yes," she replied. "I did. And out of curiosity, Colonel Casey, how many times have you broken the law for what you perceived was the greater good? How many times have you bent the rules to protect your assignment, Mr. Bartowski? I can list several times that I know of, and I'm sure there are many of which I'm not even aware."

Casey struggled with his response. Beckman continued.

"You broke those laws to protect Bartowski, because you believe you know better than the law. Because at those times when the law was contrary to your goals, you believed that you had the greater good in mind."

Beckman leaned down into Casey's face. "How is that any different from what I'm doing, aside from the scale? You're protecting Bartowski, Colonel. I'm protecting the world."

* * *

 _I've been struggling with how to handle Sarah's breakdown, because I never intended for her to be a damsel in distress. Even back in "vs Fulcrum," although Chuck and Casey are coming to save her, I really wanted Sarah to be able to handle herself and stand on her own. So I've been planting the seeds for this chapter's moment since back then, for Sarah's doubts and suspicions to gradually grow and finally become overwhelming in the face of Beckman's betrayal. And even now, with her finally succumbing to her shock, I wanted her first thought to be of Chuck's safety rather than her own. I hope I've pulled that off here, because I really do love the dynamic of Sarah being Chuck's protector, in spite of how I seem to be getting away from that in this story._

 _Thanks for the likes and reviews… keep 'em coming!_

 _-Nick_


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